Soxguy Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 Ok, I graduated in may and I'm having one helluva time finding a job down here in good ole bloomington, IL. I have done a few temp jobs since may but not much really. I just found out a few of my old HS friends live up in chicago now and they said I can come up stay with them for a few weeks and job hunt. So I'm going to go next week and try the nice large chicago market. Just need some tips on how to job hunt in chicago. Should i just use newspapers or how should I go about it? I don't have any connections in Chicago or anything, so I can't do any networking til I meet some people really. Around here I used the paper, and I knew a few people but nothing came of any of these routes. Thanks everyone, just really frustrated and any tips would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 Use the newspapers, monster.com, and make connections. Nothing can subsititute for who you know. So whatever it takes to meet people in your field. You can find stuff the old fashioned ways, but it is much, much harder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Critic Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 Job hunting is always very difficult, especially nowadays. I'd suggest scouring the online job sources as well as the papers and just keep throwing resumes everywhere. I know that's not much help, but I hope your search is successful and doesn't take too long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3E8 Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 What is your degree in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxguy Posted October 26, 2004 Author Share Posted October 26, 2004 What is your degree in? thanks for the tips guys my degree is a bachelors in marketing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 thanks for the tips guys my degree is a bachelors in marketing Do some research from Bloomington on industries you would like to get into. Take a long term view of your career. Find an industry with excellent growth potential and contact the Human Resource Departments in that industry. Before heading to Chicago, have a list of 25-30 companies you would like to interview with and work the phones and email to schedule interviews. Get as much of the prelim work done before getting to Chicago. Do not worry if they have advertised openings or not. You will be gaining intervewing skills and learning about the industries. You already have a marketing job. You need to market yourself. Create a branded package, with resume of course, 5 or 6 cover letters depending on the industry and position, if appropriate a video. Perhaps any samples of college work you did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxguy Posted October 26, 2004 Author Share Posted October 26, 2004 Texsox, Thanks a ton for the advice. It really puts things into a different light for me. I am going to do what you said, and hopefully when I get there I will be lining up for interviews. I should have enough work to keep me busy until I get there as well. Would you or anyone else happen to have a link or anything where I can find out about the future outlook for industries? thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 Have you considered hooking up with a head hunter? There are several that don't charge fees to you, and they will do all the leg work in getting you in the door. A ton of downtown companies only hire this way. The only problem is that you usually start out on a temp to perm basis. Ya gotta mind your P's & Q's until they take you on full time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxguy Posted October 26, 2004 Author Share Posted October 26, 2004 Have you considered hooking up with a head hunter? There are several that don't charge fees to you, and they will do all the leg work in getting you in the door. A ton of downtown companies only hire this way. The only problem is that you usually start out on a temp to perm basis. Ya gotta mind your P's & Q's until they take you on full time. steff, is a headhunter just an employment/placement agency or are they something else? I have used a placement agency here in bloomington and i have had little luck so far. I would definitely consider a headhunter in chicago. The hardest task I have is getting in the door, I feel like once I get in, I am confident they will like the work i do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wong & Owens Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 steff, is a headhunter just an employment/placement agency or are they something else? I have used a placement agency here in bloomington and i have had little luck so far. I would definitely consider a headhunter in chicago. The hardest task I have is getting in the door, I feel like once I get in, I am confident they will like the work i do. Sorry for butting in here Steff-- Headhunters and PLacement Agencies are pretty much the same thing, except to most people, Headhunter means permanent job, while Placement Agency means temp jobs. Anyhow, the reason for my 2 cents here is to let you know that I work with a LOT of headhunters in many different industries, and what I can tell you is that they're going the way of the dinosaur. With the advent of specialized and general online job boards, most companies don't see any reason to justify the large fees that headhunting firms generally charge. They're still around, but IMHO, I wouldn't waste my time with them-- especially since you are in search of an entry-level position. P.S., I am in marketing, and because I hold no loyalty to my company, I check Monster, Careerbuilder, et al, quite often, and there are a ton of entry level Marketing gigs up there. Get crackin'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 Sorry for butting in here Steff-- Headhunters and PLacement Agencies are pretty much the same thing, except to most people, Headhunter means permanent job, while Placement Agency means temp jobs. Anyhow, the reason for my 2 cents here is to let you know that I work with a LOT of headhunters in many different industries, and what I can tell you is that they're going the way of the dinosaur. With the advent of specialized and general online job boards, most companies don't see any reason to justify the large fees that headhunting firms generally charge. They're still around, but IMHO, I wouldn't waste my time with them-- especially since you are in search of an entry-level position. P.S., I am in marketing, and because I hold no loyalty to my company, I check Monster, Careerbuilder, et al, quite often, and there are a ton of entry level Marketing gigs up there. Get crackin'! I'll admit.. it's been about 8 years since I've used a service. I had no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxguy Posted October 26, 2004 Author Share Posted October 26, 2004 I have actually been using monster and careerbuilder to look for entry level jobs, but the problem that I am having is weeding out the schemes and jobs that make you pay to start and all that crap. I have had so many times that I had got a call back, been excited for an interview only to find out they wanted 1000$ for me to start working for them. Another job interview I drove 3 hrs to, got up at 4 am only to find out they were a pyramid marketing scheme, boy I felt like an idiot. So yeah monster and careerbuilder do help, but if you look up marketing in Chicago I bet at least 2/3 of the jobs are the kind I have described. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxAce Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 I need a job too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 I have actually been using monster and careerbuilder to look for entry level jobs, but the problem that I am having is weeding out the schemes and jobs that make you pay to start and all that crap. I have had so many times that I had got a call back, been excited for an interview only to find out they wanted 1000$ for me to start working for them. Another job interview I drove 3 hrs to, got up at 4 am only to find out they were a pyramid marketing scheme, boy I felt like an idiot. So yeah monster and careerbuilder do help, but if you look up marketing in Chicago I bet at least 2/3 of the jobs are the kind I have described. One of the keys to successful interviews is checking out the companies you would be working for. Before you even go on the interview, find out everything you can. This is one area that blogs may pan out. Don't believe everything, but you should be able to find out a little something about the business on the net. You may also wish to start at the top and work your way back. Pick your dream job, something you would want to be doing when you are an old man of 45 , find out whose doing that job, and pick up the phone and call the person. You would be amazed how willing old people are to share what they learned the hard way. Pick there brains about entry level positions. Find out who is regarded as excellent trainers. I remember a few friends who went into insurance sales. They all went to the big life insurance companies for training. They knew they would be quiting and starting their own firms, but they received excellent support and training while starting out. You have a lot of time, effort, and money invested in yourself. Take the time to really plan your career. Have a 5, 10, and 25 year plan layed out. You will instantly vault yourself past 98% of your competition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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